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Sarnak Courier Guide
Contents |
The Camp
Goal: Goblin Gazughi Ring
This guide is designed to help you acquire a :
MAGIC ITEM
Slot: FINGER
AC: 1
SV MAGIC: +5
Effect: Invisibility versus Animals (Must Equip, Casting Time: Instant) at Level 5
WT: 0.1 Size: TINY
Class: ALL
Race: ALL
Classic Note
Some aspects of the courier on Project 1999 are not the same as they were on live. Since very few players fully understood how the courier worked on live, the P99 devs will most likely keep things this way (similar to how they keep other "mystery" mobs like Quillmane unclassic) ... but how this camp works could change in the future (either to become more classic, or to become less classic, but more classically confusing).
Area
The courier can potentially span in the area which starts north of the windmill and goes just past the goblin ruins (but not up as far as the river to Firiona Vie). This area is drawn (approximately) with a red box on the map to the left.
Rarity/Faction Issues
While the courier is rare, he's not as rare as many other rare mobs. What makes this camp so hard is the fact that he's both a somewhat rare spawn AND only rarely drops the ring.
Also, because he is at risk of being "KS'd" by the goblins in the area (who are on an opposing faction), players not only have to get him to spawn, but also have to race against the goblins to kill him first.
Placeholders
A Sarnak Courier has the following placeholders:
- a goblin brawler
- A Goblin Skirmisher
- A Sabertooth Cat
- A Sabertooth Tigress
- A Sarnak Flunkie*
- A Sarnak youth
- an iksar brigand*
- an iksar marauder
- Greater scalebone
- Greater Skeleton
- A Greater Skeleton
* Brigands and Flunkies both have spawns in this area that are place holders, and spawns which aren't (brigands have even more spawns that aren't than flunkies). While you might want to prioritize these mobs less when clearing, because they could be placeholders you still have to clear them. (Editor's Note: Is this still true?)
Where to Camp
Spawn Points
The courier has several (at least four, probably more) spawn points, which means that (at least in theory) it is possible to have that many couriers up at once also.
Double Spawn Point Area
One of the most popular places to camp the courier is a location where you can find two spawn points close together, allowing a single player to clear both at once. This location, near loc -350, -2000, is shown on the left. The two red circles are the courier/PH spawn points. The yellow circle is NOT a spawn point for the courier; it's for an Iksar Marauder which is NOT a placeholder (but can be confusing to someone trying to camp the courier).
Single Spawn Points
If the dual spot is camped, consider camping another spawn location (-38,-2642) shown to the right.
Other single spawns include:
- -940, -2585
- -1300, -2980
- -1061, -1967
- -1762, -2518
(Screenshots needed.)
I have taken the time to place each of the LOC locations listed onto the main map and have uploaded it here.
The LOC locations are marked with a colored circle, with the LOC number being underlined with the same color for easier viewing.
The double spawn is the white oval which can be already taken at most times. It was hard to figure out where the others were from just screenshots so I hope this helps!
The "Ring" Courier
In the end its all about getting a courier to spawn, which has the ring. This courier can easily be identified, as the ring acts as lightsource, the courier having a light glow, as shown in the image.
Clearing Initial Placeholders
The Normal Way
As indicated above, the courier has multiple possible placeholders, but the correct placeholders will all respawn 30 seconds after dying, either as another placeholder or as a sarnak courier. By camping the spawn points for the courier, it is easy to determine the correct placeholders to kill to maximize your chances at a courier spawn.
To find the correct placeholder, gather up all of the potential placeholders (see the above list) in the field and ruins area and drag them all to the area you want to camp (ie. one of the dual or single spawn point locations above). Kill them all, ideally with AoE spells so that they die at roughly the same time. Non-AoErs (especially high level ones) can still do this camp by killing individual placeholders, but it can be more difficult
After approximately 30 seconds, assuming you gathered all of the placeholders, one placeholder (or courier) will spawn at your spawn point(s). They will begin wandering immediately after spawning, so make sure to tag them quickly: if you don't they'll quickly mix with the other mobs and you'll have to repeat the process all over.
Tip: Space Out the Spawns (at the Dual Spawn Points)
Once you have the correct 30 second respawns tagged and know where they are spawning, you'll want to stagger your kills to be about 15 seconds apart. This will give you time to always face in the direction of the next spawning courier placeholder. It is easy to 'miss' a placeholder if you are facing the wrong direction, as they begin to wander in a fairly random direction as soon as they spawn, so be on your toes.
Tip: Stall if You Need To
If you run out of health or mana and are unable to keep killing PH's ... but don't want them to rejoin the rest of the mobs, forcing you to start all over ... you can Root or Mesmerize the placeholders until you have time to recover.
The Clever Enchanter/Iksar Caster Way
Iksar Necromancers and Shaman, as well as Enchanters of any race (since they can use Illusion: Iksar) can use a different clearing approach that relies on using the Iksar guards in the zone for help.
To use this approach bind yourself at the spawn point(s) you want to camp, then (Enchanters only) cast Illusion: Iksar. Gather up every possible placeholder you can (grab non-PHs too if they get in the way), and then run that giant mob of mobs all the way to the guards at the entrance of Cabilis. As soon as the guards have cleared all the mobs for you, Gate back.
Since the guards should take less than 30 seconds between when they kill the first mob and when they kill the last, you should make it back in time (30 seconds later) to see the new courier/PH spawn at the spawn point(s) you're camping.
Non agnostic characters may still have faction problems even with the Iksar illusion. The Cabilis guards still conned scowling for a Tunare following enchanter. Note that the Iksar Illusion quest also damages faction with Legion of Cabilis upon completion.
VERY IMPORTANT NOTE: The Clever Approach Could Disrupt the Zone!
This technique could qualify as Zone Disruption, which would violate the Play Nice Policy. To ensure that you don't get suspended for doing this you must first ensure that either:
- no one else is fighting mobs in this area (or if they are, that you negotiate with them and don't take any of their mobs or train them)
- no one else is in the way when you go to Cabilis (or at least, if they are, that you don't train them)
Thus, this approach is best used when few (ideally no other) players are in the zone, and if you do it at any other time you MUST warn the zone in advance via /ooc, and you MUST ensure that your actions don't disrupt the game for other players (or else risk being suspended or banned). You've been warned!
